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Just another sideshow in the circus of politics
Lindsay Tanner's book of essays will be bought by few and chatted about by many as it provides anti-Labor fodder for the Liberal election campaign beast.
The essays contained in Inside the Gang of Four make just enough sense - Labor hasn't had a confident and composed agenda - for Mr Tanner's own contradictions to be ignored.
But those contradictions are really big ones.
In today's The Australian he fumes at the injustice heaped on Kevin Rudd by the colleagues who ousted him.
"The Rudd Government wasn't dysfunctional. That description is completely unfair."
But there is evidence for the charge and it comes from essayist Lindsay Tanner. In his latest book he discusses operation of the so-called Gang of Four, the four members of the powerful Strategic Priorities and Budget Committee - Mr Rudd, Mr Tanner, Wayne Swan and Julia Gillard.
"By the beginning of 2010, the SPBC process was deteriorating. Meetings were called, rescheduled and cancelled with great regularity, so that I lost the ability to schedule diary appointments any more than two or three days in advance with any confidence," he wrote.
"Individual matters of middling importance were left unresolved for extended periods, and ministers and public servants were sometimes kept waiting for hours before getting a chance to enter an SPBC meeting to discuss their particular issues. In some cases, the issues weren't even discussed because of the logjam in the agenda.
"Late in 2009, concerns about our decision-making processes were raised in cabinet. Only a couple of ministers complained at the time, while several indicated that they were quite happy for others to spend half their lives in arduous meetings about matters outside their own portfolios. It wasn't until March or April 2010 that serious rumblings about the role of the Gang of Four began to emerge.''
I'm not sure what the descriptions of dysfunction Mr Tanner objects to from others, but he provides a pretty convincing one himself.
Mr Tanner of course also wrote Sideshow, in which he argued the media exploits politics at its simplest levels. He knows his media stuff, having handed extracts of his current book to selected journalists and then lept on the ABC interview circuit to promote his work.
The common thread between Sideshow and this latest effort, Inside the Gang of Four, is that a lot of problems are laid out but no solutions.
Former colleagues claim this is what he was like in Government, with one saying today, "He was always carping but never coming up with answers."
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Bob Carr has raised the issue of former Labor figures rushing to a publisher when they leave Parliament, rarely to the benefit of their former colleagues.
Few things send shudders through the spine of a Labor leader than a former colleague's news, "I'm thinking of writing a book."
On Twitter today I asked why this happened to Labor with fewer Liberals taking up the pen after politics, and there were thoughtful and blunt responses.
"Political books are not so much the telling of history but the re-writing it. Partisan me says Labor has more need to rewrite it," said one Liberal backer.
Another tweet read: "The left always eat their own. Also, former Libs seem to end up in the party machine or with comfy directorships."
Said one, "Bitterness, they feel they were wronged? Can't seem to move on from Rudd (Lindsay T)? Lives in the past?"
Troy Bramston, himself a political author, points out that while Lazarus Rising was a big seller for John Howard, it isn't the biggest political seller.
"The best selling political book in Australia is Gough Whitlam's The Truth of The Matter (1979 first edition."
Inside the Gang of Four is unlikely to trouble the record.
Comments on this post will close at 8pm AEST.
Most commented
john says:
So a politician wrote a book and we are the mugs promoting it, why muck rake over the past over these clowns -pardon the photo pun?
Anthony says:
Seems like Tanner was the only person who stood up to what was a poor political decision at the time. I don't think a political reporter should be so critical of Tanner.
Steve says:
I've read one of Lindsay Tanner's earlier books from the 1990's.
Even back then raising good questions but without suggesting any answers was a very obvious theme. But apart from that, he does talk about real issues, and should not be simply dismissed.
I suspect that almost all of the ALP professionals know that their organisation is dysfunctional and dying, but none of them can see a way to break the power structures - especially when to suggest doing so means the end of their political careers because they will be forced out of paid employment. Pity about that.
nihonin says:
Spot fire over there, spot fire over here, there, there and there as well. Ex Labor Minister releases kiss and tell book, so it has be lambasted and lampooned by the sycophants.
Babylon says:
You look at history around the world, betrayals and your forced to ask why is it that the traitors are always socialists?
Rolls Canardly says:
Geez, Mal. I can't remember you ever having a bad word to say about Tanner while he was in parliament… As a member of Duddy's kitchen cabinet, he was always portrayed, and often by you, as the sensible one.
Now that he's not singing from the ALP songsheet, however.
You're as transparent as they come, sunshine.
Senexx says:
A new government learning the ropes in a fluid political environment. The static quotes provided as extracts hardly gives the situation the full context.
SAm says:
I honestly dont give a damn but hes right in many ways.
Rudd was the only chance for a clean election in 2010, conservatives fear him (hence the hatred showed his way), die hard Labor supporters jump on the party bandwagon and trash him because of what happened, while us in the middle still think he was a damn good PM and I wish he was back. Not perfect but he did what he promised he would acheive when elected. Cant remember the last time thats happened
AdamC says:
I find Labor's navel-gazing self-obsession quite hilarious.
The ALP, or its ancestor organisation, was founded in the late 19th century to politically represent unions and, where convenient, union members. By and large, Labor has done that fairly consistently, but with varying degrees of political success, for the lat 100 plus years. At times, Labor has flirted with communism (which led to a disastrous schism in the 1950s); with cult-of-personality leaders like Chifley, Whitlam and Keating; and even, for a short-time, with reformism in the 1980s. However, its fundamental role and function has remained the same.
I assume this weird sort of Labor self-analysis is being driven by the fact that Labor main clients and funders, being unions, are increasingly being seen as less relevant, because they represent a far smaller share of workers than they did a few decades ago. However, I cannot see how that changes Labor's basic mission on representing union interests. They just need to be a bit smarter at dressing these up as the public interest.
fedup labourvoter says:
A dysfunctional govt? well even Nicola Roxon described Ruddy as a "Dysfunctional maniac "and reading this article seems to add more credence to that assertion. Why do labour people always see fit to "rewrite "history, it's because they are giving an inside story closer to the truth, the truth that labour denies over and over again. Maybe Tanner was right that Rudd should not have been deposed, if this came about, then we would have an Abbott govt and be far better off. Instead we are suffering through more labour incompetence.
Denny says:
Mal, I would have thought in such an article that you would have made mention of Maxine McKew's new book. The one where she says that Gillard was the key player in the removal of Rudd and that her involvement was far greater than what she has told us.
Then agan that would just prove Gillard to be the lier we all know she is and that would not fit into your cause. I'm sure this article would be very different if it was Brendan Nelson bagging the Coalition.
Pippa says:
Poor Lindsay poor Kevin - yawn… Kev got the boot not because of the polls but because he was/is an autocratic wanker.
Luke says:
Mal I bet if this was a former Liberal polly putting the boot into the Libs you would be saying what a terrific book and what a terrific guy/girl they are/were.
Super D says:
Labor folks write more books as at the end of their careers they realiz how many of their principles they walked away from in the pursuit of power.
Pretty much every Labor politician starts out as a university socialist and most by the end have tempered their views after a lifetime of being roshamboed by reality.
I see them more as enances of self justification.
St. Michael says:
Two things:
(1) Sideshow doesn't fillet Labor alone. It casts Shakespeare's plague on both your houses, the relevant houses being the House of Parliament in its entirety and the Fourth Estate that sits in a seriously twisted relationship with it. If people actually read the book as opposed to taking sound bites out of it that would be apparent. But Tanner was exactly right when he predicted how the book would be dealt with by the media and by politicians of the day. One can see Mal Farr is still smarting over that. Nobody in the oral-fellating circle of politics or the media gets off lightly (so to speak.)
(2) "Former colleagues claim this is what he was like in Government, with one saying today, "He was always carping but never coming up with answers.""
This is an intellectually dishonest debating tactic, namely, changing the subject. Being unable to dispute Tanner's facts or logic, the opponent takes the line that the person identifying the problem must also be the one to come up with a solution.
That's a gutless line to take, because one can take the following analogy for that sort of argument:
Tanner: There's a fire in the Lower House! It's going to burn the place down!
Mal Farr/former colleagues: Oh, you're so smart? Who made you an expert? Why didn't you pay to have the Lower House building out of your own pocket so to be fireproofed? Huh?
Tanner: Look, I don't have either the funds or legal permission to personally redesign our building to be fireproofed—listen, we have to get out of the damn building, there's a fire! And I can tell you from decades of wandering around this building that we're all going to die if we stay here.
Mal Farr/former colleagues: You're always whinging about the lack of fire extinguishers in the building, but did you ever personally pay for them to be installed? That's you, Lindsay, always carping, never providing answers.
Let's also be clear that Tanner himself is no angel on this - he's been part of the political machine, and he regularly acknowledges that for decades he was part of the problem, not part of the solution. Like most politicians, he seems to have regained his (or, perhaps, gained a) moral compass after leaving the trade. It doesn't make his points any less valid or correct. If anything it qualifies him superbly to comment: nobody knows the evils of the system better than someone who was actually a major player in it.
Paul Mason says:
Tanner was one of the few within the Labor Govnt.with some integrity intact.But the thought of serving under Gillard was just too much .He could'nt stand the stench. He is well aware that the whole shebang is about turn bottom up. Can't wait.
Richard says:
According to former Finance Minister's Labor Lindsay Tanner, labor has lost purpose, it is obvious to any listener when he said; ''Everyone in politics exaggerates everything all of the time.'' For advancement, he suggests, compare your opponent to Gaddafi, Jack the Ripper or Hitler. They decided how to run their country and the circumstances how to run it.
A political class who are in essence a dictatorship ( THEY DECIDE HOW TO RUN THE COUNTRY AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES HOW TO RUN IT) who are cut off from real world, manipulate the truth, enrich themselves at the tax payers expense. The political parties no longer represent the interests of the public but serve as vehicles for personal ambitions.
Can you spot the difference?
Following the excellent streetalk question " Do you expect our politicians will lie to us when we vote for them?"
AT LEAST I know that under the Switzerland's system of direct democracy, which has no parallel in any other country, the people are given a direct say in their own affairs and politicians wouldn't dare to lie to them and I'm sure that we would be a more relax and comfortable society that we are now.
Sid says:
Is anyone suprised by Tanners comments. It hardly a secret that he was not a fan of Gillard. Lets get thing straight Rudd took his eyes off the road and a better, sharper and more saavy operator took his place. He didnt see it coming. So what if his comments are true its a dog eat dog world and Rudd could see the writing on the wall. I think he is doing a great job attacking Newman and under mining his government
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Image Selector previews images defined in select input options. It can take as a parameter the identifier of a form select input element which has options set to the URLs of images to be picked by the user. The object can display the currently-selected image inside a preview page element. The object can also change the currently-selected image to move to the next, previous, first, last, or to any of the images in the list.
An NCurses-based Direct Connect client.
A key logger.

subset: commoncrawl


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Each drug rehab in Wagontown, Pennsylvania has a different approach to the recovery process. Take note of what is important to you, and make decisions based on your personal needs. Keep in mind that in Wagontown there are a multitude of treatment options to choose from: outpatient treatment, in patient treatment, support groups, drug rehabilitation, alcohol rehab, drug treatment programs, sober living, halfway houses, long term treatment, short term treatment, counseling, and many more. An individual can become thoroughly confused by asking a half-dozen recovering alcoholics or drug addicts in Wagontown how they conquered their abuse of alcohol or drugs; the answers vary although each of them are convincing and emotional. They will cite such diverse approaches as hospitalization, diet, exercise, counseling, sauna's, religion, hypnosis, amino acids and self-help groups. When it comes to successful treatment, only one thing is certain: practically any approach will work for some of the people, some of the time. To put it another way, successful drug rehabilitation is like a designer suit- it's got to be tailor-made for each individual. A great deal of variation exists in the degree of dependence among drug users. The teenager who smokes marijuana three times a week is not as dependent as the thirty year old who has smoked marijuana six times a day for 15 years and has already relapsed after being in two drug rehabilitation centers. It's obvious that these individuals need different approaches to treatment. Similarly, among cocaine users are some who use it in binge fashion, one or two days a month, and others who use it several times each day. Again, different treatment approaches are required for each case.
For those who do not have a long history of drug addiction, an outpatient treatment program might be the correct decision. This form of treatment may be a viable solution for those who have a brief drug addiction history. These individuals might only need the guidance and counseling available though this method of treatment. On the other hand, those who have experienced an extended period of drug addiction, choosing the correct drug rehab program typically means that they should enter into an in patient drug rehab program not located in Wagontown. The structure, 24-hour support and change of enviornment made available through this type of drug rehab recovery program can be highly effective for those recovering from a long term drug addiction problem. Most drug rehab professionals in do not recommend any one "best" treatment approach, recognizing the many variations among drug and alcohol abusers. In general, the levels of treatment range from simple and behavioral to complex and medical. The person dependent upon drugs or alcohol may have used the chosen substance for so long that he or she has literally forgotten how to cope with the daily challenges of life; how to have a meaningful, drug-free lifestyle; or how to solve the social or psychological problems that prompted the substance abuse in the first place. In these instances, a very comprehensive approach must be prescribed if the individual is to expect any degree of successful recovery. Once stability is achieved, the "clean" or sober individual can take several steps to enhance recovery and avoid relapse. Among the general recommendations are belonging to a group as a support system, having a religious involvement, practicing good health habits; including proper diet, sleep, and exercise, as well as goal planning and self enhancement projects.
Find Drug Rehab and Treatment Centers Wagontown , Pennsylvania
Alcoholism in Wagontown, Pennsylvania
The main characteristics of alcoholism are the inability of the person to control their drinking. As alcoholism progresses, the craving for a drink and eventually the physical dependence on alcohol will both begin to be more dominant. Alcoholism in Wagontown often begins with having a drink now and then to be sociable, or to enjoy the effects of alcohol, but sometimes progresses to the point where people need more alcohol to achieve the same effect. In these instances of alcoholism, the person begins to drink more often or earlier in the day. In the latter stages of alcoholism, the individual will experience a constant craving for alcohol and they will experience withdrawal symptoms when they do not have alcohol in their system. An individual in Wagontown, who abuses alcohol, will develop a tolerance and can become capable of consuming large amounts of liquor each day. No matter what consequences alcoholism brings to an individual's life in Wagontown, PA., they still may not be willing to admit that they have a problem. Because denial is the major enemy of recovery in alcoholism, family and friends may need to intercede to encourage the individual to enter treatment.
If alcoholism is left unchecked it can cause serious physical damage. Alcoholism can lead to serious medical problems such as cirrhosis of the liver, which often times can result in death. Infections, sleeping disorders and sexual dysfunctions can also be caused by alcoholism. Recent studies have also shown that alcoholism can actually raise the risk of certain cancers, including breast cancer, throat cancer and intestinal cancer.
Many people in Wagontown that consume alcohol on a regular basis find the negative effects of alcoholism coming into play in their professional lives as well. Often, alcoholism in Wagontown leads to missed days of work because of hangovers, or the loss of a job due to the poor quality of the individual's work. People lose jobs everyday in Wagontown as a direct result of their alcoholism. Legal problems can be another negative effect of alcoholism. Many times, alcohol will increase the amount of aggression in people and they may commit criminal acts and end up in jail. Many crimes, including domestic violence, have been linked to alcoholism in Wagontown, Pennsylvania, and bail money and court costs can quickly add up. Many innocent citizens have lost their lives as the result of alcoholism, as in the thousands of cases of fatal drunk driving accidents.
Drug Relapse and Drug Rehab in Wagontown, PA.
Drug relapse education is one of the most important components of a Wagontown, Pennsylvania Drug Rehab Program. People that are in recovery from addiction need to learn new ways to cope more effectively in different areas of their lives, and most importantly, that taking drugs to cope is never a good solution. Once an individual in Wagontown, PA. completes the detox portion of the Wagontown Drug Treatment Program, they can begin to learn how to avoid a drug relapse. This education includes teaching the individual how to identify the stressors and triggers that previously precipitated their former drug use. While receiving Drug Rehab in Wagontown, the individual will learn more positive methods for dealing with challenging situations, using healthier behavioral choices. The most important element in preventing a drug relapse is to be aware enough to identify the trigger and to interrupt the thought process as soon as possible. To prevent a drug relapse, an individual attending the Wagontown, PA. Drug Rehabilitation center can learn strategies to help them to recognize the signs and symptoms that may come before a drug relapse. These signs and symptoms can include frustration, anger, dishonesty, complacency and self pity, to name a few. Another strategy that individuals will learn about in their Wagontown, Pennsylvania Drug Rehabilitation Program is to be aware of some of the most common drug relapse danger situations. These dangerous situations include being around any type of drugs or alcohol, getting bored and restless, or the most common relapse danger is when a former addict has been prescribed a narcotic for a medical reason. Wagontown, Pennsylvania Drug Rehab Programs promote maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle and this can be a major factor in preventing a drug relapse. Practicing drug relapse prevention is not always going to be easy and everyone in recovery has times when they may have thoughts of using drugs. The surest way to counteract these thoughts is to utilize the drug relapse strategies that were acquired in Wagontown Drug Treatment.
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Spammers have been busy thus far in 2014. One group in particular has been especially active over the past 10 days. We have been following a massive spam campaign that is undertaking the classic "Pump and Dump" stock scam with unusual relentlessness. If you are unfamiliar with the scam, it goes like this… The scammers buy shares in a penny stock (usually one costing less than $1 per share). Once they have taken their position (in this case snapping up shares of Rich Pharmaceuticals, Inc), they send massive amounts of spam to users around the globe to generate interest in the stock. Believe it or not, there are plenty of people willing to make stock purchases based on a "tip" they received from a source as suspect as an unsolicited email. Once these real world investors have bought shares and "pumped up" the stock price, the scammers will "dump" their shares and reap the profit. This might sound very familiar to some of you since it is nearly indistinguishable to the plot of the recent film "The Wolf of Wall Street". The only real difference being that the scammers used cold calling instead of spam emails in the film.
Early this morning, in a very ironic fashion, the spammers started using the name Oakmont Stratton in the [from:] field within their emails. We quickly noticed the striking resemblance to the firm Stratton Oakmont that appears in the recent Scorsese film. We couldn't help but wonder if the scammers found some inspiration in the film and felt influenced to use the name. Of course, the cybercriminals are never short on tactics to pique people's interest. They have been changing the sender address along with other message details several times a day. Another version of these messages we have been seeing today appear from "JtMorgan" which is almost as reputable as JP Morgan.
Here is a look at one of the messages:
This campaign is quite unique as far as "Pump and Dump" spam campaigns go. They have been pushing the same stock for longer than we see on average. Also, they have created a remarkable amount of variables in the generating algorithm for these messages, enough to continue sending unique versions of this message for days on end. Last, the amount of bandwidth behind this campaign is also quite notable. We have consistently quarantined over 1 million messages per hour from this one campaign. At times this spam has accounted for as much as 15 percent of total spam traffic.
Recently the OpenSSL group released an advisory about a critical bug in the OpenSSL software that could "reveal up to 64k of memory to a connected client or server". This was puzzling at first but it quickly came in to light of how serious an issue this is.
OpenSSL is a framework used for securing a large part of the internet by providing SSL services to a server. This helps secure a connection from peeping eyes online. So obviously a problem with this software can be disastrous from a security standpoint, and this particular problem has proven that. Memory on a server is essentially where everything happens. Keys are stored there, certificates, even user data is stored there while the server is using it. So a bug in security software that can allow up to 64k of that to be revealed undermines the whole point of securing the connection. Further testing from individuals online has shown that the 64k of memory they can get isn't just a one-time deal. They were able to get 64k per request sent to a server. And this isn't a man in the middle attack or anything, this is an attack that can be sent directly to a server.
A quick summary is that a heartbeat request consists of sending data to a server and having that server reply back with the same data. It's used to keep an ssl connection open even though data may not be getting transmitted. The inital heartbeat data sent to the server has a specified size in it for how large the data is. This is where the main problem lies. An attacker could send a 1k piece of data to a server and say it's 64k. The vulnerable implementation of OpenSSL does not verify this size specified. So when the server goes to reply to the heartbeat using the data in memory, it will reply back with 64k of memory from the starting point of the initial saved data. So if only 1k was sent and the server replies back with 64k, that means that 63k of that data was pulled from the memory and could contain almost anything.
While they may only get bits and pieces of server memory, a large amount of requests could be used to start gathering a large amount of data. Furthermore this collection of data is not recorded in logs. This is a major concern with the bug since the listed version that is vulnerable (1.0.1) shows it has been released since March 2012.
There's no way to tell for sure but it's very possible this vulnerability has already been exploited on servers prior to its heads up release to the public. This essentially means that there could be many servers that have had their certificates stolen or user data mined from memory, and there isn't a way to tell who has been effected. A scary part for an end user is that they may not be aware of what servers they communicated with that were vulnerable and there's not really anything a user could have done to prevent an issue like this.
Heartbleed is a big blow to internet security in general given how widely used OpenSSL is. One of the larger providers that was noted as being vulnerable was yahoo.com. With the millions of users they have, that could be a very large leak in user data if anyone attacked with the Heartbleed method. Fortunately most companies, including Yahoo, seem to have reacted very quickly to this incident by changing the software version used or disabling the heartbeat functions altogether until they can permanently fix it. Many providers are also taking steps in getting new certificates issued since it's possible the old ones may have been compromised.
At AppRiver, we don't rely on the OpenSSL library for most of our SSL needs. The few components that did use OpenSSL have been addressed and fixed to avoid any problems. If you run a server and think it may be vulnerable to the Heartbleed attacks or want to check websites you visit, there are places you can check servers at HERE and HERE. If you want to play it safe, it can't hurt to change any passwords at secure sites you frequent as well. This can help you stay safe just in case there are servers out there that have been compromised.
Candian Pharmacy spam has always been sort of the de facto reference for when people ask me what types of things I see throughout a normal day. We see unique campaigns all the time but there is always some sort of pharmacy spam going on somewhere. They have been so common that hopefully everyone knows about these scam sites by now and to avoid falling for them if you end up on one.They're just out to get any personal information and banking info for victims.
Normally I wouldn't write about Canadian Pharmacy emails since they usually aren't that interesting for the most part. It's almost always an email coming in saying you can buy some sort of cheap drug and a link to the site. Very straightforward. However some recent ones have been changing the tactic a little bit. They are coming in as WhatsApp emails saying you have a voicemail and to click the play button. Some are also claiming to come from Google as missed Hangout notices (hangout being Google's messaging service now). I've seen a small amount of these a few months ago but they seem to be slowly coming back in to focus.
Upon first seeing a sample, I just assumed it was going to be malware since that's been the theme with all of the recent WhatsApp blasts. There was no attachment though and just a link leading to a website. The link format was along the line of "http://example.com/cgi-bin/<rand_word>.pl". All of the websites involved appear to be compromised but legitimate websites. Some of the links no longer work but many still do. The pharmacy links they end up redirecting to were two domains registered in Canada and Russia. And of course they were both that classic Canadian pharmacy site look.
On a side note, usually the redirect for a compromised site is pretty straightforward with an html meta refresh line. A new thing I noticed was these used a script with hex encoded data, which seemed a little overkill at first for what they did. My best guess is this was to obfuscate the data to an admin that may look at the file on a compromised server. If they see a .pl file and it has a lot of hex in it, they may just overlook it.
In total there were 25 of these WhatsApp/Hangout spam domains being tracked this morning, with messages totaling to be a little over 1.4 million and all of them failing spam tests. This was also just one particular Candian Pharmacy campaign. There are countless others out there always trying to get someone roped in to falling for the scam.
Just over a week ago a man by the name of Neil Trotter became the UK's 4th largest lottery winner. That's to say the amount of money he won, £107.9m, was the 4th largest in history, Neil Trotter is actually a fairly slender fellow. Fast forward to this week and we're beginning to see scammers piggybacking on Mr. Trotter's success.
These scams are coming in the form of the classic 419 style, or advance fee fraud technique. We're actually seeing a few different versions of these and judging by the routes the various versions took to get to their destinations, it would appear that they are each from different groups. One version consistently comes from Nigeria by way of a quick hop in Brazil, and the others appear to originate from many different locations suggesting the use of a botnet for delivery. The latter uses a brief email with the subject "my Euro Million win" and suggests that perhaps Mr. Trotter feels that you as the recipient are quite poor. "I am willing to donate£1,000,000(One Million Pounds) to you and as part of my effort toalleviate poverty and care for the less privileged around the world, Ihave decided to donate part of my win to few persons around the globe andyou are lucky to be one of them.", the email reads.
The other versions are much more long winded explaining the scenario, essentially giving a synopsis of the heavily circulated news stories that can be found around the internet. In fact they provide links to these stories in order to "To verify the genuineness of this email and our winnings". Because we all know that the internet is the source of all truth! The scam goes on to request tons of personal information from the recipient, all of the usual stuff, Name, date of birth, phone number, that sort of thing. All of this information can be used to further tailor the story to fit the target and possibly be used for additional identity theft. It is confusing though that Mr Neil Trotter's email address is apparently firstname.lastname@example.com, doesn't seem very intuitive, but the very wealthy can be quite eccentric too, so who knows?
Although I can't derive any exact figures, it would appear that this campaign/campaigns is/are fairly large as we're seeing a good amount of them in our filters. These 419 scams are tried and true. People are still falling for them for some reason and this is why we continue to see tens to hundreds of thousands of this type of email on a daily basis. Do your best to stay informed and hold on hope that you will get your big break one day, but also be aware that if it's too good to be true, it probably is.
Cybercriminals have been using ransomware for quite a while now and while Cyrptolocker has captured most of the headlines lately, there are still plenty of other variants making the rounds. One of those variants we are currently seeing takes a simple(yet effective) approach to lure its victims.
This malicious email campaign utilizes several subject lines such as "You look terrible on this photo" or "Shame on you" and is accompanied by only a smiley face in the message body. Each message has an attached file designed to look at first glance like only a JPG image. Malware distributors are certainly never short on social engineering tactics but this type of simple and intriguing technique will always work to some extent.
The attachments are actually .zip files that contain a malicious .scr file which leads to the install of a Trojan Downloader. After gaining a foothold on the machine this malware currently reaches out to one of several domains with a (.su) tld and downloads more malicious files from the remote server. Currently this process leads to the install of a fake AV style ransomware. Once installed the program will lock the machines apps and generate pop-ups designed to mimic a legitimate AV program. The pop-up demands payment that will remove the infection. The computer is unusable until either payment is made or the user gets wise and removes the malware.
This type of ransomware has been in circulation for years but can be just as troublesome for some users as the now infamous Cryptolocker can be. Take for example, the unwitting user that suffers this infection and believes that the alerts are from their (actual) AV provider. In many cases the user will reach for their credit card and submit the required payment without hesitation, thinking that they are paying an actual AV provider. Most of the time paying the ransom will unlock your machine for the time being… However, the backdoor to your machine still remains in place and there is nothing to stop this process from repeating again or some other form of malware being installed at the cybercriminals whim. Also, in this process you have not only made a payment to the criminals but have also divulged your credit card information. Of course there are many users who would recognize this ransomware technique (as a scam) and take the appropriate steps to remove the infection.
Yesterday morning we began seeing a rather disturbing attempt to get users to click on malicious attachments. This malware campaign was made to look as if it came from The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence which is an offshoot of the Department of Health in the United Kingdom. It claims that the institute received a sample of the recipient's blood, though it doesn't say how or when it came across this sample which should alert people right away that something is amiss, and it goes on to say that after doing a complete blood count test on the sample the results showed very low white blood cell counts and a suspicion of a cancer.
This campaign was also only directed at domains with a .co.uk tld suggesting that the targets were all meant to be in the UK and familiar with NICE. It began around 4am local time (CST) which is 9am in the UK peaking at 6am CST or 11am in the UK, and we've seen roughly 300,000 pieces.
This campaign randomizes the name of the signing doctor and utilizes three different subject lines –
IMPORTANT:Complete blood count (CBC)result
IMPORTANT:Blood analysis
IMPORTANT:Blood analysis result
The email further instructs the recipient to print out the results and take them to their family doctor, the results being a malicious zip file attached to the email. The name of the file is CBC_Result_[random alphanumeric string].zip. Inside the archive is a file with a double extension made to look like a PDF file but in actuality is an executable with a PDF icon.
If the attachment is unzipped and executed the user may see a quick error window pop up and then disappear on their screen like this:
But what they won't see is the downloader then taking control of the victim PC. It immediately begins checking to see if it is being analyzed by making long sleep calls and checking to see if it is running virtually or in a debugger. It also makes several duplicate instances of itself just in case someone was attempting to shut down the original process. Next it begins to steal browser cookies and MS Outlook passwords from the system registry. The malware in turn posts this data to a server at 22.214.171.124 with the command /ppp/ta.php and punches a hole in the firewall to listen for further commands on UDP ports 7263 and 4400.
This is all very common behavior for the Zeus family of malware which is still very common in today's attacks. Keep yourself informed and watch out for some of the common flaws that these malware campaigns employ such as addressing people by their email addresses as opposed to their actual names. Oftentimes generalities are used in the greeting with no names at all; this is a big red flag, especially when the content is trying to appear so personal. If there are any questions as to the legitimacy of any email, contact the supposed sender directly to authenticate.
This past week I spent some time at the annual RSA convention in San Francisco as I have done for the past several years. RSA is primarily a vendor-centric event with IT security as its focus. The conference gives security professionals the opportunity to feel out where others in the industry have been and where they're headed by way of trends, techniques, and sometimes tragedies.
Before this year's event even began we all knew at least one issue was going to be first and foremost after a long year of talks about breaches and privacy. I knew going in that during the many keynote speeches, presentations, and chatter on the show floor that I would hear the acronym NSA and the name Edward Snowden ad nauseam during the week, and this year's RSA did not disappoint in that area. One thing I wasn't quite expecting however was the twist that was thrown into the mix thanks to an article by Reuters a week before the event that linked the RSA business entity and a purposefully flawed encryption algorithm with the NSA directly through a contract to distribute this reversible encryption.
This news was enough to cause many others in the security field into an uproar of sorts as the event was immediately boycotted by some and a protest conference by the name of TrustyCon sprung up directly across the street and selling out its 400 person capacity.
This made us very curious as to what people were most concerned about now that all of these other vectors of attack to both our security and our privacy seem to be popping up on all sides. We decided to do a face to face survey with conference attendees one on one to ask them a few simple questions about these issues compile the data and see what is on people's minds. These are people that deal with security every day, whose jobs depend on keeping networks secure, and who use threats as a practical problem not a theoretical or philosophical issues.
We ended up surveying just over 110 people on these subjects, and when we asked them what they felt was the number one threat to their organization, the response was more swayed than I had expected.
• 56.2% of respondents report cybercrime from external sources as most problematic • 33% say insider threats with non-malicious intent give them the most trouble• 5.3% blame malicious insiders for causing the biggest security headache• 5.3% point the finger at external threats from government as chief offender
Malware, including email-borne and web-based threats, topped the list of most concerning threat vectors followed by personally identifiable information (PII) and social engineering. The majority of respondents, 71.4%, cited people as the most frequent (or most likely) point of failure for IT security. 21.4% faulted process and 7.2% labeled technology as the weak link.
As a new breed of cybercriminal gets more sophisticated, IT security pros find themselves increasingly wary that employees are not keeping pace. This chasm demands a comprehensive security strategy that takes into account all threat vectors from technological and human standpoints. Organizations need a combination of technology, training, knowledge and awareness to keep both inadvertent and intentional attacks from happening.
We were also curious as to whether or not all of this recent information has driven people to believe in the need for psychometric testing to determine employee honesty. Over two thirds of our respondents said no. When asked if these security professionals would be willing to take such a test themselves, again nearly two thirds of them said that they would be willing.
Of course security and privacy will always be concerns within businesses and a strict "need to know" policy should be implemented and enforced to help protect important data, but it would seem that forcing everyone to a polygraph test for employment regardless of what data they are exposed to may be a bit on the paranoid side and those surveyed seemed to agree.
Everyone continues to have their own philosophical and ethical stances, but the real concern as this survey points out is the everyday tangible malware that continues to barrage inboxes and networks millions of times a day.
Today we are still monitoring a blast of malicious emails that began on February 5,2014. Since that day, we have seen the virus traffic increase to unusually high levels that have continued to reach higher peaks over the last few days. January was the second most active month for malicious emails to date. Though the spike we saw in January was unusually large, the spike in message traffic that we have been seeing over the past few days has been even larger. So far in February we have quarantined over 150 million email messages containing malware attachments, at this rate February has a good chance of surpassing the previous records setting levels that we recorded way back in 2008.
This malware campaign is still going strong but the technique is nothing new. The malware distributors are sending large blasts of emails with varying premise. Attached to each message is a file that attempts to appear legitimate but in actuality contains malicious code. The theme of these emails continue to vary.
For example, today many of these messages were posing as alerts from Visa/MasterCard alerting the recipient that their account had been blocked due to unusual activity (fake security warnings are a favorite social engineering tactic for the blackhats). The file attached to each message is in fact a Trojan that will infect your machine upon execution. Once infected the attackers will have a backdoor to that machine and can further install malware that most commonly includes programs designed to harvest personal and financial information.
While the initial analysis of many of these malicious files have pointed to the Andromeda botnet or even the [not so recently defunct] Bredo botnet, these trojans are mostly identified with generic names. In turn, some of us here at AppRiver have taken to referring to this botnet activity as TidalWave or TidalBot (due to its enormous ebbs and flows). Whether or not this botnet is an completely new build from the ground up or built up from an existing piece, one thing is certain… they have spent some time and effort compiling a large swath of compromised machines to have at their disposal.
You could draw several conclusions as to what danger this all poses to the user. First, it illustrates that people are still clicking on attachments and links in unsolicited email (if they were not cybercriminals would not be relying so heavily on this technique). The users that unknowingly click on one of these attachments are likely to have their activity monitored leading to stolen financial information, personally identifiable information and login credentials. But the impact of this type of malicious activity is not only felt by the recipient of these messages but can also have a cascading effect. It poses an inherent risk to information security in general. Most of the time we just think about an individual falling victim to this sort of attack but what if that individual is your CPA or Banker (or anyone that has access to personal data for that matter)? If they fall victim while on a work computer then it is not just their data that is at risk but your information may now be exposed as well.
Over the last month we've caught and blocked a set of virus campaigns that use new and novel tactics designed specifically to beat filtering engines. One common component of all these campaigns is enormous volumes of traffic being sent to data centers, with peaks reaching three or four times normal network traffic.
Earlier today, AppRiver experienced such a spike, although this one was quite unlike anything we've seen to this point. Our data center processed 10 to 12 times the normal amount of our normal traffic. This graph will give you an idea of what we saw:
These spikes have been driven by a tremendous increase in the number of incoming messages being sent with viruses attached. AppRiver's systems blocked the messages and our analyst team discovered they were designed to deliver a new Bank of America trojan. However, the sheer volume of the traffic caused some of our customers delays in sending and receiving mail. Once we were able to isolate and analyze the malicious messages, we quickly choked them off and mail flow returned to normal.
Our security analysts spent some time looking at this virus and found it was being classified by at least one AV vendor as being a Bredo virus. Running the message through a variety of virus scanners showed that only 11 of 51 antivirus vendors were classifying it as malware. The main goal of this virus is to steal information such as banking info or recording keystrokes. The software may also have abilities to further infect a system by downloading more malware on to the machine. Here's a screenshot of what this message looks like:
As always our engineering, security, and support teams are here to answer any additional questions and help ensure your email experience is as fast, secure, and safe as possible. If you have any questions please give us a call at 866-223-4645.
This past month of January we saw a pretty incredible spike in virus traffic. Other unsolicited emails ebbed and flowed throughout the month resulting in a regular average amount of traffic after all was said and done.
The biggest news that everyone was talking about at the top of the2014 was all of the major breaches that made the headlines. Target was the first to enter the spotlight first announcing that between the period of Black Friday and December 6th malware that was placed directly on their POS systems siphoned off around 40 million customer credit and debit card numbers as well as information associated with those accounts. Though as time went on that number began to increase, first to 70 million and then on to over 100 million accounts compromised. After Target other companies began announcing similar breaches including Neiman Marcus and Michael's.
This brought to light new strains of malware that were written to attack right at the source, at the point of sale itself. The moment customers swiped their cards in-store at the business, the malware would take all of that card information directly from RAM on the POS computer. Several variants of this POS malware began to surface that used this very technique known as RAM scraping. Malware such as BlackPOS, Alina, Dexter and vSkimmer to name a few have become popular in underground forums.
BlackPOS or Kaptoxa as it's known to some was accredited as the malware used in the Target breach. It was being sold at the time for around $2000 USD by a Russian seventeen year old named Sergey Taraspov who authored the malicious code. Even though Taraspov created this malware it is assumed that he was not to blame for the attacks on these major retailers, rather it was one of Sergey's customers that was responsible for this major breach.
In addition to these attacks, Yahoo also announced a major breach of their email accounts. Though not related to the Target, Neiman Marcus breaches, this one also proved to be rather alarming. The goal here for the attackers was passwords. Once the Yahoo users' passwords were stolen from a third party database hack, the attackers then accessed and monitored email for these accounts looking for mentions of other accounts that the victims may have, such as bank accounts or even other email accounts. The attackers then attempted to use the stolen Yahoo passwords on other accounts owned by the victims. For those who like to use the same password across several accounts, this proved to be a costly security oversight. We've said it a thousand time before and we'll continue to ad nauseum, in addition to making sure your password is strong, never use the same one twice and the Yahoo breach is a perfect example as to why.
Here are a few metrics that we saw in January:
Though traffic was close to normal, the four day spike from the 7th-10th was enough to push this month's total virus message count to the highest monthly total since Q3 of 2008. (269,108,311 virus-laden messages were quarantined in January 2014.) The traffic on Jan.7th-10th was roughly 40 times the daily average, which is typically about 2+million emails containing a virus attachment.
Spam was high and low throughout the month which led to an average total for January. 2,501,096,184 messages were quarantined total in January.
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The WB Shop is the official online store for Warner Bros. Studios and carries an extensive catalog of movie titles like Lord of the Rings, The Goonies and The Dark Knight, as well as popular TV series like Friends, Gilmore Girls and Full House. In addition, you will find official and authentic merchandise - tshirts, toys, games, collectibles and accessories.
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The newly discovered gene, called CCDC40 (coiled coil domain containing protein 40), controls left-right patterning during the third week of human embryonic development. The gene, as the team discovered, is found in mice, fish, and humans. Left-right patterning is a critical factor in the configuration and effectiveness of the internal organs in all species.
"We used the strengths of different model organisms to gain an understanding of how a novel protein produced by this gene functions," said Zohn. "The practical applications of our findings are that now people in families with the conditions that result from the mutation of this gene can be tested to see whether or not they risk passing this on to the next generation."
When mutated, CCDC40 can cause a number of conditions related to defects in the tiny hair-like structures on the cell called cilia. Defects in cilia formation result in left-right patterning defects where the orientation of internal organs is reversed. Defects in cilia formation can result in congenital heart defects, and also can lead to recurrent respiratory infections, due to abnormal functioning of certain respiratory tract cells.
Scientists at Children's National, University of Colorado Denver, and at Princeton University found the gene using genetic mapping in mice with defective left-right patterning and then zeroed in on the same gene in zebrafish.
"Verification of the exact same gene in two species pointed to the possibility of a culprit gene in humans," said Zohn. "We alerted colleagues working with patients with the condition that we observed in animals. They focused in on the same gene, and discovered that indeed, mutations in the same gene cause similar molecular and organ defects in human patients."
Realizing that the same gene was linked to the defect in two animal species alerted researchers to the possibility that it might also be involved in humans with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). PCD is a condition characterized by recurrent respiratory infections associated with abnormal beating of the hair-like structures (cilia) on the cells that line the respiratory tract. Many patients with PCD also have reversed (left-to-right) internal organs due to abnormal function of cilia during early embryogenesis. The reversal of internal organs can also result in heart defects. Colleagues in Germany working with PCD patients sequenced the gene in their human subjects and verified that CCDC40, when mutated in humans, is linked to the condition. It is estimated that one in 10,000 people have PCD.
"This work really showcases the use of collaborative science and multiple model systems to better understand human disease," said Rebecca Burdine, PhD, an assistant professor of molecular biology at Princeton University who led her team.
The paper, "The coiled-coil domain containing protein CCDC40 is essential for motile cilia function and left-right axis formation," will be published in Nature Genetics this month and is now posted on the Nature Genetics website.
Irene Zohn, PhD, and Rebecca Burdine, PhD, are available for interviews about their collaboration.


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Fable 2 Now Available Digitally on Xbox 360by Brian Leahy, Apr 06, 2010 8:40am PDT
Microsoft's Major Nelson has announced that the full version of Peter Molyneux's RPG Fable 2 is now available as a digital download via Xbox Games on Demand for $20.
Previously, the game could be downloaded in episodic chunks with the first section available for free. Fable 2 is available digitally in all regions except Japan.
In the same report, Major Nelson reveals that Fallout 3 is now available digitally in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.


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What is Retention Radar?
Retention Radar is a powerful software product that identifies, understands, and retains customers who are likely to churn. In other words, we tell you who might leave, why they're going, and how to save them. We utilize a sophisticated machine learning tool that analyzes customer actions, purchase history, social media activity, natural language processing, sentiment, and other factors that keep customers happy, or leads them out the door. Then we individualize, automate, and optimize the "next best action", resulting in increased retention and customer lifetime value.
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Proving that quality and craftsmanship are not exclusive to more expensive properties, The Evesham embodies the essence of the New Heritage Collection.
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Through the Affordable Care Act, the federal health-care reform law, Medicaid payments will increase for many primary care physicians for two years starting in January. Some physicians and experts say the payment bump will mean more low-income patients will receive care. However, they add that more reform is needed to keep those extra patients covered for the long-term.
According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the provision in the law taking effect Jan. 1 will be totally funded by the federal government and will increase Medicaid reimbursement payments to primary care physicians in the fields of family medicine, pediatrics and internal medicine. The goal of the increase is to entice more physicians to accept Medicaid payments along with helping those who already take money from the program. The increase will be particularly helpful for Alabama, which currently has a struggling Medicaid program because of decreasing state revenue.
Medicaid is funded by state and federal money and mainly pays for medical and long-term care for low-income children, pregnant women, individuals with disabilities and nursing home residents.
Dr. Angela Martin of Anniston's Pediatric Care Center of Northeast Alabama said the increase will be particularly helpful for her practice and patients, 70 percent of who use Medicaid.
"We're excited about getting an increase in pay," Martin said. "It will position us to help more patients … it may only be two years of an increase, but that is certainly better than none."
The increase, which will cost $11 billion and be 100 percent federally funded, will mean an approximately 30 percent increase in Medicaid reimbursement payments to physicians. According to the Alabama Medicaid Agency, which administers Medicaid for the state, the boost will pump an extra $40 million into Alabama's program next year and have an impact on about 8,000 primary care physicians.
State funding for Medicaid has been shrinking the last few years due to decreasing revenue. Earlier this year, voters approved a state constitutional amendment to transfer $140 million from the Alabama Trust Fund to the state General Fund to shore up the Medicaid program and close a $100 million deficit. Still, Alabama has one of the lowest Medicaid reimbursement rates in the country, meaning many physicians are unwilling to accept patients in the program.
More than 1 million patients receive health care through Medicaid in Alabama every year.
Dr. Carla Thomas, who practices family medicine in Anniston, said she also believes the increase will help many physicians and patients. About 20 percent of Thomas' patients use Medicaid, she said.
"It will be a nice increase," Thomas said. "It will help more clinicians become willing to take Medicaid."
Julia Paradise, analyst with the Kaiser Family Foundation's commission on Medicaid and the uninsured, said there is some research to suggest the payment bump will bring more physicians to Medicaid. Kaiser is a nonprofit, nonpartisan group focusing on health care issues facing the country.
"It's reasonable to hope more physicians will take it," Paradise said. "These are large increases."
Paradise added that if the increase works as planned, more states might be willing to extend the program on their own after the federal funds dry up.
"I think states … if the impact is to improve physician participation, there's going to be wide interest in sustaining the increase," Paradise said. "But financing it is going to be the challenge."
Don Williamson, state health officer for the Alabama Department of Public Health and the chairman of the Alabama Medicaid Advisory Commission, said extending the increase will be one of many topics under discussion regarding the state Medicaid program in the next few years. Gov. Robert Bentley established the Medicaid Advisory Commission last week to find ways for the state's Medicaid program to provide better care, cut costs and spend money more efficiently.
"We've got to come up with finding a better delivery system," Williamson said of state Medicaid. "It's impossible not to have a discussion around the expansion of patients and if that helps or hurts the long-term expandability of Medicaid."
Williamson noted that he expects the increase will help the state in the short-term.
"It absolutely will help physicians to take Medicaid patients," Williamson said. "But the state will have to either come up with funding to sustain that or roll it back."
Jim Carnes, spokesman for Alabama Arise, a nonpartisan group that advocates for low-income residents, agreed that the increase will help underserved patients. However, he added that plans should be made now to sustain the increase.
"We're hopeful it will strengthen the network and secure access," Carnes said of the increase. "But it's important we start looking at how the state is going to fill that gap after two years – access to health care providers in Alabama today is a critical challenge."
Star Staff writer Patrick McCreless: 256-235-3561. On Twitter @PMcCreless_Star


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Java Gearman Service is a Java implementation of the gearman service, which provides a generic application framework that farms work out to other machines or processes that are better suited to do the work. It allows you to do work in parallel, to load balance processing, and to call functions in other languages. It can be used in a variety of applications, from high-availability Web sites to the transport of database replication events.
A system optimization tool.
A word processing component for .NET applications.


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Planning holiday parties
By Laura Acklen
The holidays give us a great excuse to splurge a bit and throw a party. However, splurging does not mean incurring unnecessary expense. Why would you pay for professional printing services when you can print your holiday party cards with WordPerfect®? You can use the money you save to go on a little shopping spree for family and friends.
From start to finish, a holiday party requires invitations, seating cards, gift tags, and thank-you notes. In this month's tutorial, you'll learn how to create each piece of stationery. You can use these steps later for any type of celebration.
Downloading holiday clipart
The first step to creating a festive card is to locate the right graphic. It can be a clipart image or a digital photograph — whatever suits your purpose. You can search the Internet for "free holiday clipart" or "free holiday photos" and browse through the sites, or you can go directly to a popular free-clipart site such as Clip-Art.com, myFreeClipart.com, or free-clipart-pictures.net.
When you have located the image or images that you want to use, the next step is to download them. In most browsers, you can right-click an image and choose a command such as Save Picture As or Save Image As. Then, you can browse to the folder where you want to store the item and choose Save
Creating invitations
You can print your invitations in a couple of ways. If you want a foldover card, you can purchase prescored card stock, which is frequently referred to as a "half-fold card" and is available at office supply stores (and online at amazon.com). Although some card-stock packages include envelopes, you may need to buy them separately. The 8½-by-5½-inch size is commonly used for greeting cards, so look for "greeting card envelopes."
You can also purchase quarter-fold prescored card stock. This size produces a smaller (4¼-by-5½-inch) card with four sections, instead of the two sections produced by the half-fold card. These cards typically use an "invitation envelope"; you may also see them referred to as "quarter-fold" envelopes
Another option is to print multiple invitations on a single 8½-by-11-inch piece of card stock and then to cut them apart. Printing two or four invitations on a page is a popular option because the envelope sizes needed for the cards are readily available. You can print four invitations on a page and cut them apart into four cards, or you can print two invitations on a page and fold them in half.
In any case, printing more than one invitation per page is a piece of cake. To set the page layout, you just pick one of the label definitions in WordPerfect, and you're ready to go. Choose Format > Labels to open the Labels dialog box. Scroll down through the list of label definitions until you see Avery 3251, which is the first of several definitions for printing half-fold and quarter-fold cards. As you scroll down through the list, the preview area shows you how the cards will be laid out. (see Figure 1)
Figure 1
The Labels dialog box contains a list of predefined label definitions for virtually every type of label.
After you locate the definition that matches the number of cards you want to print on a page, select it in the list, and choose Select. When the dialog box clears, you'll see the label page with the insertion point on the first label, or in this case, the first card.
The other pages, or cards, are grayed until you begin to work with them. Press Ctrl + Enter to insert a hard page code in the document, which moves the insertion point to the next card. Continue to press Ctrl + Enter until you have filled the page with cards. You can now see how the invitations will look side by side. (see Figure 2)
Figure 2
Each card is a logical page, with multiple logical pages appearing on a single physical page. Note: To make it easier to see the separate cards, a thin black border was added.
Next, move back to the first card, and start creating the invitation. Choose Insert > Graphics/Pictures > Clipart, and browse to the clipart file that you downloaded. When the image appears in the document window, it will be placed in a graphics box with sizing handles around it (Figure 3). The sizing handles let you resize the graphics box.
Figure 3
When the four-headed arrow appears, you can drag the graphic box to a new location.
To resize the box, move the pointer to a sizing handle, and wait for it to change into a double-headed arrow. Drag a corner handle to resize the height and width at the same time, so that the proportions are maintained.
To move the box, place the mouse pointer inside the graphic box to change the pointer to a four-headed arrow (refer back to above). Drag the graphics box around on the page until you are satisfied with its position.
Choose an attractive font and font size, and create the text of your invitation. When you are happy with the way everything looks, you are ready to copy the invitation and paste it to the other cards.
To make sure that you are selecting the entire invitation, press Ctrl + Home twice so that the insertion point is moved to the top of the document, before any codes. Hold down the Shift key, and use the Down arrow to select the graphic box and the text of the invitation. Press Ctrl + C (or choose Edit > Copy) to copy the selection. Move to the top of the next card. Press Ctrl + V (or choose Edit > Paste) to paste the selection into the second card. Move to the top of the next card, and paste the selection. Continue pasting the selection until you have filled the page (see Figure 4). That's it — you're done! All you need to do now is print on the card stock and then fold or cut the card stock into cards.
Figure 4
The simplest way to create a page full of cards is to create one card, and then copy and paste it to the other cards.
Creating seating cards
The same concepts discussed above can be applied to your seating cards — you simply select a label definition to set up the formatting, and away you go. You might be thinking that seating cards are for formal gatherings only. Not true! Have a little fun by adding amusing anecdotes, or clever or embarrassing nicknames
Seating cards can be printed on a piece of 8½-by-11-inch heavy card stock and then cut into individual cards. Alternatively, you can opt to print on microperforated business cards, which tear apart easily and are just the right size. You can find these business cards in a variety of fun colors and textures.
Choose Format > Labels to open the Labels dialog box. Scroll down to Avery 25371 Business Cards, and choose Select. With the insertion point at the top of the first card, repeat the process described previously for inserting a graphic or picture, and then add the text for the seating card. When you are finished, insert the business card sheets, and print.Creating gift tags If you are exchanging gifts at your holiday party, use the same theme for your gift cards that you chose for the party invitations and seating cards. You can also use these steps to create gift tags for your holiday gifts. Adhesive address labels also make great gift tags and are available in a variety of sizes./p>
Choose Format > Labels to open the Labels dialog box. As you can see from the list of label definitions, WordPerfect works closely with Avery to ensure that the list is kept up-to-date and accurate. Even if you purchase a different brand of labels, the built-in definitions can be used. Simply match up the number of labels per page, or the label dimensions, to locate the correct definition.
When you locate the definition that most closely matches your label sheets (the preview area really helps you here), select it in the list, and choose Select. Repeat the process described earlier to insert a graphic or picture (see Figure 5). To use the same graphic or picture multiple times, use the copy-and-paste procedure. If you like, add "To:" and "From:" titles to the tags before you print them.
Figure 5
You can create a sheet of identical gift tags, or you can use a different image for every tag.
Creating thank-you notes
After the guests leave and you breathe a sigh of relief that everything went smoothly, your last task is to prepare thank-you notes. The steps for producing thank you notes are essentially the same as those for creating the invitations — with one possible exception. On half-fold cards, it's common to have "Thank You" or "Thanks" on the front (see Figure 6). So, if you opt for half-fold cards, rather than creating the text for the inside of the card, you are actually designing the front of the card and leaving the inside blank for a handwritten note.
Figure 6
Thank-you notes usually have a design on the front.
In fact, you can include a nice border around the greeting that you choose for the front of the card. WordPerfect has a great collection of page borders that can be used, from simple thick borders to elegant or fancy borders. Choose Format > Page > Border/Fill to open the Page Border/Fill dialog box.
To get a better idea of how a border will look on your card, click one of the borders in the Available border styles box to display it in the preview area (see Figure 7). Scroll down through the Available border styles box to see the complete collection. Click the Border type drop-down list arrow, and choose Fancy to see the decorative borders.
Figure 7
The Page Border/Fill dialog box has both line and fancy borders to choose from.
Printing on both sides of a half-fold card
If you like, you can include text on the inside of a thank-you card (or the outside of a party invitation) by simply reinserting the card stock and printing on both sides. Create two pages with the first page containing the front of the card and the second page containing the text that you want to print on the inside. Print the first page, reinsert the card stock, and then print the second page.
Because printers differ in how they feed and print on card stock, it's best to experiment a bit before you print on the card stock. To learn how to rotate the card stock so that the "Thank You" isn't upside down, take a plain piece of printer paper, and number the four sections of the page. Do the same on the other side of the paper. Print several sample pages until you learn how to reinsert the paper correctly for the second printing.
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Architecture in Helsinki
Playing Friday at Irving Plaza (17 Irving Pl., Gramercy, Manhattan, NY)
Get: Tickets ($20) | Directions
If the Aussie synthpop outfit Architecture in Helsinki ever actually got in the business of populating the Finnish capital with edifices, it would probably resemble an early '80's new wave utopia filled with Pet Shop Boys pet stores, B52s-inspired offices, and Wham!-style dwellings.
But the truth is, this group's curious moniker has little to do with Scandinavia — it was born magnetic poetry-style, back when the band formed in 2000, from the union of random, cut-out newspaper words. Architecture in Helsinki constructs its catchy hooks and bouncy, synth-soaked melodies far away from the Finnish capital, in fact. The quintet records in a studio in their hometown of Melbourne, Australia, a place that they've dubbed "Buckingham Palace" after Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham. (Naturally.)
Download the sugary, mid-tempo love tune "W.O.W" from the band's fourth album Moment Bends, released last spring, or watch its video below. Architecture in Helsinki plays Irving Plaza on Friday night.
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Howard Berman (D) @RepHowardBerman
Politwoops no longer follows this account.I strongly feel that FAA's leadership must lead to meaningful action to reduce helicopter noise. http://t.co/mRViXVd0
Sure, we all tweet things we don't men mean to share, but now politicians have no way to hide them. Discover tweets that your politicians shared and then deleted.
To meet the Twitter API Terms of Service, all deleted tweets shown here since June 22, 2012 have been reviewed and approved by the Sunlight Foundation.


text:
- Adult Adventure
- Some Body Parts
- Tools and Tapers
- Straight Barbells
- Curved Barbells
- Accessories
- Earlets & Tunnels
- Ear Plugs
- Replacement Parts
- Captive Bead Rings
- 14k Gold Only
- Segment & Seamless Rings
- Spirals & Claws
- Organics
- Charms
- Hybrids 14k & Steel
- Circular Barbells
- Hide Your Piercing
- Fixed Rings
- Genuine Diamonds or ?
- Screwball Rings
This oval synthetic Opal curved barbell with a Prong Top is made from tarnish resistant Genuine Argentium Sterling Silver Settings and a 316LVM Surgical Steel Shaft. The Bottom Setting is permanently attached to the Curved Barbell so you won't lose it. This piece is available in 5 different opal colors so that choice will be up to you. This is an Internally Threaded Curved Barbell as are most of our pieces.
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I received the gold jewelry that I ordered, the barbell with the flower top and with a red-gem-set disco ball. These are spectacular pieces of jewelry! I've worn the flower topped barbell in my tongue and it gets compliments all the time, it's really a gorgeous piece. Among the half-dozen other pieces I've ordered from The Chain Gang, I've never been disappointed with the quality. Where I live in Chicago, there are a TON of stores that sell body jewelry and I keep ordering from you because the quality just doesn't equal, and where it does, the price is double. To anyone who may be unsure about whether to order jewelry from these guys, I hope this convinces you. You will not be disappointed! Kathy Chicago, Illinois
- Never Been Disappointed [Read More]


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most popular recipes
- Caramel Apple Oat Bars
- Allergy-Friendly 'Cheesy' Pepperoni Pizza with Roasted Tomato Sauce
- Triple Chocolate Brownie Cones
- Super Detox Smoothies
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- Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
- Super Recipes for Your Super Bowl Party
- Massaged Kale Salad with Pomegranate and Citrus
- Chocolate-Dipped Apricot Biscotti
Rhubarb and Ginger Crisp
Serves: 6-8 Free of: Gluten and all top allergens. Ingredients 3 cups rhubarb, washed, trimmed and sliced into 1/4-inch slices Zest and juice of 1 orange 1 cup cane sugar 2 cups strawberries, trimmed and quartered 1/2 cup crystallized ginger, diced Topping 1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour 1 cup gluten-free oats 1 cup shredded organic coconut* 1/2 cup cane […]
One Dough, Three Delights
By Laurie Sadowski Use this one gluten-free recipe to master the art of allergy-friendly buns. Shape it, pipe it or flavor it – to suit your baking whims. Versatile Gluten-Free Yeast Dough This sticky dough will be similar to a thick cake batter, so resist the temptation to add flour. Makes enough for 8 to […]
Chocolate-Dipped Apricot Biscotti
By Cybele Pascal Dried apricots and candied oranges coated in chocolate were the inspiration for this surprisingly gluten- and nut-free recipe. Each twice-baked bite delivers all three flavors along with a hint of nutmeg, perfect for pairing with a hot cup of tea or coffee. Makes 24 biscotti Free of: gluten and all top allergens Ingredients 3 cups Cybele's Basic Gluten-Free […]
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
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Red Wine Fudge Pudding Cake
By Laurie Sadowski This chocolate pudding cake has a brownie-like topping covering a molten-merlot infused fudge pudding. It's to be shared, of course, with your number one chocolate lover. Makes 2 generous servings Free of: gluten and all top allergens Cake Ingredients 1/4 cup (60 mL) sorghum flour 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (dark, if […]
Butterscotch Bars
By Cybele Pascal With a lack of allergy-friendly butterscotch chips on the market, I decided to create a homemade butterscotch base. If you can use butter, feel free to substitute, but Earth Balance Buttery Spread makes darn good butterscotch for these moist and chewy bars. Please note that shortening isn't a suitable replacement, since it doesn't emulsify when heated. Makes 16 […]
Allergy-Friendly Spiced Pear Cobbler
By Alisa Fleming Even though it's gluten-free, this "cobbled" biscuit topping has a delicious scone-like flavor and texture. I prefer to make it with flaxseeds instead of xanthan gum, as we like the tender cake-like crumb, but if you want a firmer biscuit topping, use the xanthan. Makes 7-9 Servings Free of: Gluten and all […]
Caramel Apple Oat Bars
By Alisa Fleming Though they still qualify as dessert, these are lower in fat than ordinary bar cookies, and packed with gluten-free oats for a healthy dose of fiber. Makes 12 bars Free of: gluten, and all top allergens Ingredients 1 1/2 tbsp + 1 1/2 cups gluten-free quick or rolled oats, divided 2/3 cup packed […]
Caramel Pears with Sugared Cranberries
Serves 6 Free of: gluten and all top allergens Ingredients: 6 ripe pears (I prefer bosc), halved and cored 1/2 cup (120 mL) butter alternative [I used Earth Balance] 3/4 cup (175 mL) brown sugar 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 cup + 1/4 cup (250 + 60 mL) white sugar 1 cup (250 mL) water 2 cups […]


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Civil Disobedience at the Cinema
I don't often mean to be churlish. But as I am now firmly ensconced in middle age, I no longer have to sit back and accept life's little annoyances at face value. I have the intellect and the resources to do something about things that make me upset.
The fact that I choose to apply said resources and intellect to finding a better food experience rather than, say, finding a solution to global warming, probably says more about me than I currently care to admit.
However, I do solve the problems that I can, one at a time, and hopefully change my corner of the world for the better.
Today, I want to talk about movie theaters.
I am a huge movie fan. I can talk obsessively about movies the way that some people can talk about wines (I'm looking at you Lenn). I have seen over a thousand movies on the big screen, and have been to hundreds of theaters. In 99% of the theaters I've been, the food that they offer is over-priced and under whelming.
I know, I know. This is hardly a news flash. In fact, this is so accepted that many of us take the above for granted. We walk into a theater, and unthinkingly pay 9 dollars for a coke, popcorn and candy bar. Outside the theater, we'd refuse to pay 5 dollars for the same products.
"But Kate", I can hear you saying, "High food prices is the only way that the theaters can make a profit! They don't make any money off of ticket sales!"
Tough. Surely the Theater knew that buying the rights to "Doom" was a losing proposition. I could see that train wreck coming from miles away. The same can be said for the upcoming "Yours, Mine and Ours" which is a remake of a copy of "Just the 12 of us". Or is it the other way around? I can't remember.
And don't even mention the commercials and product placements I have to sit through simply waiting for a movie to start. Someone is making a fair amount of money here.
When I feel like eating at a movie (which is rare these days), I respond to the food atrocities of pasty nacho "cheese" upon stale chips, and 3.50 Hershey bars by buying my food elsewhere, then sneaking it into the theater. Yes, I am one of those people.
I don't do this at the smaller theaters, for a variety of reasons, including the fact that they often have snacks that are reasonably priced and taste good. But at the Loews and AMC theaters of the world? Damn straight.
True story: Tara and I were going to see "The Incredibles". We were both snacky, but were repulsed by the idea of eating Five dollar hot dogs or dried out pretzels priced at $4.25.
Luckily for us, there is a decent snack shop at one of the anchor stores tied to the mall in which the theater was located. I stood in line, paid $4.00 per carrot cake, through in a bottle of San Pelligrino for $1.25, and placed the booty into a bag with the department stores name. In we walked with said booty, and walked past the line at the snack counter and had a decent food experience at the movie theater.
If I'm in a candy mood, I head to the local Pharmacy and head to their candy aisle, paying one dollar for candy that would have a 200% mark up at the theater.
I realize that several of you may balk at my subterfuge, and may even think less of me for it. I can live with that. What I do is against corporate rules, and this tact is not for everyone.
But I'm having a good time. I'll put my carrot cake up against your theater food any time.
Technorati Tags: Food and Drink, Theaters, Theater Food, Movies, Breaking rules


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Bess Bonime, France c1910
Bess Bonime with unk lady, 1910 Europe: This is scanned from an album with many photos but no captions:I am 99% sure the lady on the right is my grandmother Rose Bonime -- but it might be a sister, maybe Bess. Some shots are Paris. This may be.
The Mystery
The woman on the left in unknown. On the right is either Rose or Bess Bonime --exact place and date unknown, and I am thinking that's Bess after all.
Rose Bonime
Died: unknown


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50 Lincoln St, North Adams
In ShortDebuting in 1962 as Thrif D Discount Center in Scranton, Pa., this drugstore chain became known as Rite Aid in 1968, and today is one of the largest in the nation. In…
55 Veterans Memorial Dr, North Adams
In ShortFirst opened in 1963 in Lowell, Mass., under the name Consumer Value Stores, this drugstore chain is among the largest in the country. Stores carry a variety of products,…
85 Main St, North Adams
278 Walnut St, North Adams
145 State St, North Adams
61 Main St # 225, North Adams
830 Curran Hwy, North Adams
1 Post Office Sq, North Adams
1415 Curran Hwy, North Adams
475 Union St, North Adams